Alterverse: The Sentinel War |
Book 2, Chapter 4:Requiem for a Shadow |
The portal to the Rock of Eternity, December 2007
(Editor’s continuity note: this story follows The Inheritors—Chapter 16, Shadow Crossing, Part 2)
Alan Scott flew through the portal with Elise Zoldar. Her first trip in this particular nether-realm, the Shantar Command Assassin asked the obvious question. “How do you know where we’re going?”
Without turning to face her, he answered. “I can sense the portal and I can sense the Rock itself. My green flame is in sync with the magic on both ends. And I’ve been here more than a few times.”
She looked around. “I’m glad you can. All I see is muck and murk. If it weren’t for your flame, I wouldn’t see anything at all—even with my enhanced vision.”
He lit up what appeared to be a rope of gold light. “That’s the trail. If it were a real rope, I’d consider wrapping it around Kent’s neck!”
“Now, now, Dear.” Elise made a strangling motion with her super-strong hands. “Ladies first!”
“Then, there wouldn’t be anything left for me!” Alan chuckled bitterly.
Five minutes later—the Rock of Eternity
Alan landed with Elise on the Rock, just outside the castle. They watched the door open before them and shrugged to each other.
Elise remarked. “He knew we were coming.”
“No doubt.” Alan answered without sarcasm. They walked in to castle, through several large chambers. They finally located the Shazam Wizard deep in research in his study. They were not surprised to find that he was not alone, but they were surprised at the identity of his other visitor.
“Hello Cousin, hello Elise.” Mary Marvel greeted them seriously. Kent turned to face them, acknowledging them silently.
“Explain.” Alan glared at Kent. “Alanna left far too quickly. Not a backward glance and not a ‘Good-bye’ to anyone but us. That’s hardly the Alanna we know.”
Kent regarded Alan with curiosity. “And what Alanna do you think you know?”
Elise answered. “The one who usually doesn’t let Linda out of her sight. The one who usually watches over all of us with no thought for herself. She didn’t take much time to say ‘Good-bye’ to her friends—not even to Linda. She left for a reconnaissance trip and Boom—nothing. I know not to follow, but I don’t know why. But I know that You know why.”
“Yes.” Mary agreed quickly. “We both do. Remember the day that you visited Faith’s home world? Remember that I sent regrets? There was a reason.”
Kent nodded. “For the same reason I couldn’t go. The Inheritors’ universe is blocked from the Rock of Eternity. Our magic won’t work in that universe.”
“So?” Alan asked with irritation. “What does that have to do with Alanna?”
“Everything.” Kent emphasized. “Everything. Come, let me show you.” Kent walked over to a living area and motioned everyone to sit down on comfortable couches around a low table. Once seated, Kent projected a hologram of the Rock of Eternity. “First, I’m going to explain Alanna’s current situation. Then, I’m going to explain why it was done to her and by whom.”
“What?” Alan and Elise answered together.
“We’ve just figured it out ourselves.” Mary confirmed. “And we’ve been mad enough to spit nails ever since.”
“She’s not kidding.” Kent confirmed. He noted with satisfaction that Alan and Elise had begun to relax, if only barely. “How. It all has to do with the Seltan Universe, the Rock of Eternity, and Alterverse’s connection with both. One that the Inheritors’ universe does not completely share.”
Mary took up the tale. “Remember how we met the Seltan here? At the Rock of Eternity? Their power flowed to Alanna through their version of the Rock of Eternity and into any universe where their Rock of Eternity can connect to its counterparts. That includes this universe, the universe we call AV-2, and the universe Alanna traveled to when she rescued Jade after the ‘Final Night’. The Rock opens to almost every universe in this sector and many of the neighboring sectors. What we never realized before is that Alanna could only find probabilities only if she had been there or could sense them through the Rock.”
Kent nodded. “But the Rock has no entry into the Inheritor’s universe. You can’t get there from here. That Marvel family has been depowered.”
“I don’t understand.” Elise confessed. “The last time we visited the Inheritors’ universe, Alanna retained her powers.”
Kent smiled. “Yes, she did! Because the entire time, the Great Portal was cracked open to the Seltan home universe. Jade doesn’t shut herself off from her Starheart unless she absolutely has to. And she is the champion of the Starheart of that universe. So, she leaves just the slightest of cracks whenever she can. No one else ever notices it, because the Portal seems to work just fine for them, but that crack is there whenever the Portal isn’t in use. So, while they were together in the Inheritors’ universe, both sisters received uninterrupted power through the portal. But because it routed through the Portal, Alanna received much less power than she is used to—which was why her DNA began to heal.”
Mary nodded. “But this time, when Alanna traveled to the Inheritors’ universe, she used her ability to jump probabilities. Since she knew the address, she didn’t think twice about it. But as soon as she arrived, her powers faded. We know that the Inheritors rescued her, but little beyond that.”
Alan’s eyes lit. “So, if we wait a little while for her to heal, then we can crank open the portal, her powers will return, and we can bring her home?”
“Nope.” Kent growled. “She is home. She is in the one place where she can really heal and stay healed from what the Seltan did to her. And you won’t take that away from her. Leave her be. Give her time to adjust. You will see your Granddaughter again. But Alanna Scott, the Shade is gone, at least for now.” He smiled. “There is some justice in the cosmos, after all.”
At Alan’s curious glance, Mary answered. “There are many Alanna Scotts out there with some version of the Shadow Powers that Alanna was born to. In that respect, Alanna is not unique.” She sighed. “But the DNA that would become Alanna was altered even more radically than her mother’s when the Seltan crafted her mother’s DNA so many years ago. That was why Molly lived a full lifetime before dying of what may also have been a side-effect of the shadow powers. We’ll never know for sure.”
Kent spoke sympathetically. “But Alanna was created to complete one mission and one mission only. Once that mission was complete, the Seltan could not have cared less what happened to her.”
“Which was?” Elise asked.
“Alanna’s powers were dangerously supercharged by the Seltan.” Kent noted. “That’s why she had both the Dark Force blasts and the probability-hopping ability. She was created to carry Linda safely into the Kayzik/Seltan’s home probability, and that was it. As soon as she completed that mission, her supercharged shadow powers began to deteriorate her DNA. She began to burn out.”
“Alan and Elise,” Kent continued, “the Seltan did not know how, but they knew that Jade would be created and would be the daughter of Molly Scott. But, they had no way to get Jade back to their universe to activate the Starheart and slaughter the Kayzik queen. Thus they had to ensure the creation of Alanna. And so they did. And she did her job. And they won.”
Mary added. “Her obsession with protecting Linda is programmed into her DNA. She can’t just be herself in this universe or near Linda. But where she is now?” Mary smiled gently. “Remember what Lois told you about the Huntress Wood? ‘It’s a magic place. It’s where tragedy turns to triumph. And it’s where love grows.’”
Kent broadcast an image over the coffee table. “This is the best I can do. I can view, but not affect that universe.”
Alan and Elise watched with surprise as a young blonde woman walked through a snowy forest with a red-haired man. They were whispering together, seemingly without a care.
“Who?” Elise asked.
“Alanna?” Alan asked.
Mary smiled. “Lannie, as she calls herself there. We know that her body is repairing itself, and that the shadow powers no longer damage her. For the first time in her life, she has real chance at a future—if we give her that chance.”
They watched as the young woman threw a snowball at her companion and pretended to run away, grinning happily. She squealed with delight as he caught up to her. Kent froze the image.
“Leave her alone, Alan.” Kent counseled. “If you retrieve her now, it will be because you want her back, not because it’s the best thing for her.”
Mary shook her head sadly. “I’m sorry, Cousin. I truly am. But we have to let her go, at least for now.”
Alan and Elise continued to look at the frozen image. The young woman’s pleasure radiated from her face.
“I’m sorry, Alan.” Kent offered. “But this is the way it has to be.”
“I know.” Alan sighed. “But what will I tell Linda?”
“Tell her ‘No’.” Kent answered. “And make it stick. Really make it stick. With Linda, that won’t be easy. But this isn’t about Linda. For once, it’s about Lannie Kyle. Leave her be, Alan. Leave her be.”
Alan nodded. He and Elise continued to look at the hologram of Alanna.
Kent and Mary left the room.
The Underworld
From Hades’ private chambers, he and Daimon Hellstrom watched the scene at the Rock of Eternity.
“How odd.” Hades pondered. “Hecate left this realm? How unlike her. She was the protectress of Earth, Heaven, and Hell long before we were conceived.”
Daimon shrugged. “I am confused, Father. We both knew that Alanna had little time left. But even though Alanna had accomplished her work in this realm, would not Hecate have chosen to protect this Earth until the very end?”
Hades nodded. “While my existence crosses worlds, Hecate chose to protect the Terrans, first of all. Most peculiar that she would abandon them.”
“It would be,” they heard an ancient, but eternally young voice behind them, “if I had departed. But as you can see, I did not.”
Hades and Daimon turned to face the eternal Titan. Again, Hades found himself reminded of both Hecate’s gentle heart and sense of determination. “How?”
Hecate smiled. “When I entered Alanna Kyle Scott originally, I sensed the beginnings of her own spirit. And I took care to guard it, but not merge with it. I have guided her for all her life. But Hades, we took advantage of something and someone we did not understand. And I am not one to destroy when I do not have to.”
“I do not understand.” Hades puzzled.
“Yes, you do.” Hecate smiled from three faces, yet only one. “Alanna Kyle was more than we bargained for. She served us all so well and the only reward we could provide her was as half a soul in the Afterworld. I would not abuse a loving, gentle soul in such a way.”
Hades watched with confusion as Hecate continued her explanation. “She did everything we could have hoped, even cursed as she was by the Shadows. But, you see, we failed to ask important questions. First, her younger sister, Linda Kyle was the second child of a powerful sorcerer. She has native abilities that did not come from the Green Flame, and they are substantial. Even her ability to become the Demoness came from her paternal ancestry.”
Hades and Daimon looked at each other with sudden realization. “First heir and holder of half of the key for so long!” Daimon sputtered. “The power Alanna must possess! And we never guessed!”
“You do learn quickly.” Hecate demurred. “At an unconscious level, we both knew that her time in this world had come to an end. But then I saw an opportunity. All I had to do was to ‘suggest’ that Anna Lane have one conversation with the flameling from that other universe. And when Lannie did leave this probability, I stripped all but the dregs of her stored Shadow energy from her and returned here. She is truly free to be Lannie for the first time in her life.”
“Someday,” Hades chuckled, “I must introduce you to my Kryptonian associate, Lorra. I understand neither of you, but respect both of you.”
Hecate nodded with a gentle smile. “And I respect Lannie Kyle and those who will love her.” She smiled at an image of the future of another universe. Then she addressed her companions. “Now, gentlemen, what is Athena up to?”
Hades activated another image in the center of the room.
End—Chapter Four—The Sentinel War
-- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2003 by Eldric
-- and may not be reprinted without permission.
-- Otherverse and Multiverse, as depicted in the Continuum Worlds,
-- are original creations of Dylan Clearbrook
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-- are the original creations of Eldric
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-- are original creations of John P. and Jason G respectively.
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